Hi! I'm new to this group, so I'l tell you a litle about myself. I was
recently been given the official diagnosis by my rheumatologist of Fibromyalgia.
Another doctor (my endocrinologist) said that I had either fibromyalgia or
C-FIDS. I am personally more inclined to the latter diagnosis because
debilitating fatigue bothers me a lot more than the pain. I also have sleep
apnea which my sleep specialist says I have had all my adult life. I weigh
nearly three times my ideal weight. My endocrinologist is giving me a small
dose of thyroid supplement (Cytomel) to see if my slow metabolism will speed up
a bit. He says I may have "functional hypothyroidism". Blood tests show that I
have what should be adequate amounts of thyroid hormone in my blood, but my body
is responding as if I weren't getting enough. I have slept with a C-PAP or a
BI-PAP machine for over two years. When I was first diagnosed with severe sleep
apnea, I thought that I'd get my energy back through using the machine to help
me sleep. It did help to bring me back from really severe symptoms, but I still
have only three or at most four hours of usable energy every day. That's when I
began to suspect that sleep deprivation was not my only problem. I have been
seeing the endocrinologist and the rheumatologist for only a couple of months,
so I'm not sure if they can help me. I also have allergies and asthma. I take
daily asthma medications and I am on a program of desensitation shots. I have
arthritis, too, and walk with a cane or a walker if I have to go more than a
block or so.
I attend a weekly support group for people with chronic pain. I am a
co-leader of this group. I also attend monthly pulmonary support meetings. I
have taken a course on arthritis from the Arthritis Foundation. I am on the
list for an upcoming course on fibromyalgia. I go to a pool to swim laps and do
aqua aerobics nearly every day. I usually do about an hour, but I caught the
flu over the holidays, and right now all I can manage is half an hour. I had no
lasting success with low calorie diets whic I tried many times over the cours of
my adult life. I am now fifty-five years old. I found that they actually
promoted weight gain because when i regained the weight I lost through dieting,
I would gain back about 12% more than I had lost. Although this decision was
unpopular with my doctors, about twenty years ago I determined that I would no
longer go on low calorie diets. I do try to watch what I eat, however. I focus
on lots of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. I also eat meats. I try to
maintain a low intake of refined sweets and cholesterol-promoting fats. Since I
started the thyroid therapy, I have lost a small amount of weight. I also
meditate twice a day (Transcendental Medition). I have been seeing a counsellor
who specializes in helping people with chronic illnesses. She suffers from some
of them herself. She has helped me to accept my realistic limits, to do what I
can to benefit my condition, and has encouraged me to get medical advice from
specialists instead of just family doctors.
I have a thirty-six year marraige, three grown daughters, and one grandson,
with another grandchild expected this summer. I was a high school English
teacher many years ago, but "retired" when we had our family. I worked in
volunteer organizations while my children were growing up: La Leche League
(breastfeeding support), The American Association of University Women, my
childrens' schools, and teaching English as a second language to immigrants, to
name a few. I went back to school to earn a second degree in art when my
youngest was a pre-teen. I did not get to finish this program beacuse my
husband's company sent us to London for a few years. About five years ago my
husband expressed extreme dissatisfaction with his corporate job, and asked me
to start a small business so he would have an option to staying with the big
corporation. I started a computerized sign business, making vinyl signs for
businesses. The the long hours and stresses of starting up a business destroyed
my already shaky health. I collapsed while on a business trip to Denver, and
had to rest in a hotel for several days until I was well enough to fly back to
California. A few months after that I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. This was
the first time any doctor was willing to admit that anything was wrong with me
other than obesity (which they attributed to overeating).
The business I started is still growing, because my husband did quit his
corporate job and is now managing the store. I have been unable to work since
the collapse of my health. I still get out regularly, and I can pursue many of
my interests, but I am severely limited by debilitating fatigue. I am actively
working to improve my situation, however. My outlook is positive.